Climate Change and its Effect on Birds

The Amazon rainforest is home to over 1,300 species of birds. These birds on a daily basis do not see many humans. This does not mean that humans do not have a physiological effect on these birds though. Through human-induced climate change, these birds have changed their body size and their wing length. Scientists from Louisiana State University have been conducting studies on a variety of bird species that inhabit the Amazon and have documented these changes.

            

Over the last four decades, studies have shown that the number of resident birds, or birds that live in the area, have declined. Not only has the number of birds reduced, but the birds that live there have gone through physical changes. These changes have a consistency for extremely hot and dry conditions throughout the year. These birds have changed their bodies to become smaller, but for the wings to be longer. With this it could pose new physiological or nutritional problems for the birds. The study for this has only been done on non-migratory birds’ to eliminate other factors that may influence the changes. The data has shown that almost all the non-migratory birds have lost about 2% of their body weight every decade, or every ten years. The data was also not collected in one specific region of the Amazon, but instead throughout the whole of the rainforest. 

            

Throughout the world, animals are undergoing physical changes in response to climate changes. With these changes can come a variety of challenges that may affect the animals ability for survival and reproduction. Many tend to overlook the effect that climate change has on animals' bodies physically that may become problematic for the animals later in life or for the species further down the road. 

 

Sara Dunn (8)

https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=303979&org=NSF from=news